1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a shielded board-mounted electrical connector having an improved shielding shell. The invention relates to the copending applications titled “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR” and “ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING IMPROVED ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PROTECTION” having the same application and the same assignee with the instant invention.
2. Description of Related Art
An electrical connector electrically connected to a printed circuit board is often equipped with a metal shield for shielding electrical contacts mounted therein and for avoiding Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI). U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,814 (named as the '814 patent for simplification) discloses such kind of electrical connector assembly which generally includes a receptacle connector and a plug connector mated with each other.
As shown in FIGS. 1–3 of the '814 patent, the receptacle connector 20 includes an elongated dielectric housing, two rows of terminals received in spaced arrays longitudinally of the dielectric housing and a one-piece conductive shield assembled on the housing. The housing 26 includes a mating portion for mating with a corresponding portion of the plug connector. The mating portion has a pair of long sidewalls 32a which extend generally parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of the housing and a pair of short end walls 32b which extend generally parallel to each other along a lateral direction of the housing. The sidewalls and the end walls define an elongated plug-receiving slot 34 therebetween. The metal shield 44 has a plate portion 58 juxtaposed against an inside surface of the long sidewalls and short end walls of the dielectric housing.
As shown in FIGS. 6–7, and 10 of the '814 patent, the plug connector 22 includes an elongated dielectric housing, two rows of terminals received in spaced arrays longitudinally of the dielectric housing and a one-piece conductive shield assembled on the housing. The housing includes opposite end portions extending longitudinally outwardly from a central mating portion thereof. The mating portion of the plug connector comprises a pair of parallel long sidewalls 78a extending longitudinally and a pair of parallel short end walls 78b extending laterally to define a generally hollow, elongated opening. The metal shield 90 has an elongated plate portion 92 substantially surrounding the mating portion of the housing of the plug connector. When the plug connector is mated with the receptacle connector, the plate portions of the shields of the receptacle connector and the plug connector together define a closed loop, which encloses the terminals inside, to provide EMI protection.
However, each of the shields of the plug connector and of the receptacle connector is formed by drawing technology during the process of being stamped and molded. Using drawing technology, a designer must make more effort to design a die which is costly and the manufacture of the shield is still difficult.
Hence, an improved shielded board-mounted electrical connector is required to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the related art.